The Battle
by VGJustice
Summary: Travis returns, this time with a new challenge. A traveling trainer wants a battle.


Author's notes: This fiction was part of my self imposed NaNoWriMo project. I'm not terribly thrilled with it, but the point of the project was volume not quality. Why upload it if I'm not satisfied with it? Practice and critique. Lemme know what you think of it. Any comment is appreciated.

---

The hunter had been holding perfectly still, staying quiet, waiting for the opportune moment when her prey would lower its guard. She watched as it turned its back on her, no longer concerned, feeling safe. Her moment had arrived, her prey was vulnerable. She tensed her muscles and pounced on her target.

The butterfly still saw her coming and fluttered away as the Zangoose crashed under it. But, she was up and swinging again in seconds, playfully chasing the brightly colored wings. Travis watched on from the fence, laughing at her antics.

It had been a few months since his withdrawal from the tournament. Zangoose had healed completely and would be ready to go come next season. But for now, both of them could just enjoy life.

The ranch was a quiet place to relax, and could be very useful for training. Pokemon like Zangoose were good at catching pests, and could help with a lot of chores. Even his Gardevoir was a huge help in a lot of ways. She could find a lost animal anywhere inside a 5 mile radius.

Then there was the simple fact of open space.

Training was a pretty constant thing for him. Having the wide open space needed for trying out new moves or even sparing between his Pokemon was an invaluable asset for Travis. Plus it gave his Pokemon plenty of room to play.

And since Travis had finished his chores for the day, he could sit back and enjoy the sunshine while his Zangoose got some much needed air.

One of the other things that Travis could do was watch the road. There was a single path that ran next to the property. One of many routes all through the region, this one didn't get many travelers. But, the few that it did get were always interesting. This particular route came from one of the few ports in the area, and was considered the scenic route as compared to the other possible choices. So almost the only people that would come this way were Pokemon trainers from far away places with plenty of time on their hands. The perfect type for a battle.

Travis leaned against the fence post and watched the road for a while, thinking back. He'd grown up next to this road and got to talk with a lot of Pokemon trainers of all kinds. He'd learned so much and had seen so many cool and interesting Pokemon. How could he not want to be a trainer after seeing all that? That was why he got his Zangoose in the first place.

As he watched, he started to make out the figure of a person walking up the road. This was always the exciting part, trying to figure out what kind of person would be making their way up the out of the way route. Travis started to study the figure as they got closer.

Walking alone, so good chance it was a trainer. He was coming up pretty quick, too, so he'd been traveling for a while. Must be experienced. He was strutting slightly, so he had to be confident. His clothes were loose, shorts and a t-shirt with a tight fitting base ball cap. Travis couldn't identify where those clothes had come from, but that was half the fun of this little game he'd play. As the traveler drew closer Travis called out to him in a friendly way. And right on cue his Zangoose dashed up to the fence and took up a posture mimicking her trainer.

The traveling trainer walked up to the fence wearing a big smile, looking at Travis' Pokemon. "That's a pretty nice Zangoose you've got. You a trainer?"

Travis smiled. His assessment seemed to be spot on. "Yep. Raised her from a freshly hatched egg." The stranger leaned down and offered a hand to the curious Zangoose. She sniffed him then let him pet her. He seemed pretty nice and obviously knew his Pokemon. "So, you're a trainer too huh?"

The stranger looked up wearing a huge grin. "Yeah. I'm from the Hoenn region. I heard there was a gym up this way, and I heard this path was way out of the way. Don't suppose you'd be up for a battle, would ya?"

Travis arched an eyebrow but smiled. Usually he had to ask for a match. The ones that asked first were either overly confident beginners that would go down fast, or they were very talented and would put up the best challenges. "Sure," Travis told the stranger. "I should warn you, though. I'm pretty good."

The stranger's smile seemed to grow bigger. "Great. Just what I was hoping for."

As the stranger hopped the fence, Travis asked, "So what's your name?"

"Garrett," he said as both feet hit the ground. He smiled and offered his hand for a shake.

Travis accepted the handshake. "I'm Travis. Nice to meet you."

Garrett stopped partway through the handshake. "Hey, I know you! You're the guy that had to drop out of the Nationals in this area recently!" His gaze snapped back onto the Zangoose. She'd taken up a smug posture next to Travis' leg.

"Heh, yeah. That was me. I had to forfeit the next match because she'd gotten so tore up." Travis smiled confidently. One of the key points to winning a Pokemon battle was beating the other trainer mentally. He did his best to look impassive and maybe just a little intimidating but it didn't seem to have any effect at all on Garrett. He just grinned bigger than ever.

"Has she healed up yet? I wouldn't wanna try and battle if she's still hurt."

Travis looked down to his Zangoose, who flashed him a quick smile and flexed her foreleg. She had healed neatly, and hadn't lost any dexterity. Travis looked back at Garrett. "Yeah, she's good to go."

"Great!" Garrett looked around himself. They were still near the road, with a small clearing. It was big enough for most Pokemon, so long as it didn't get too crazy. Garrett pulled out one of the balls on his belt. "Shall we begin?"

Travis smiled and went for his own belt. He had several healing Potion sprays, and even a handful of Revives, just in case. He'd come prepared today.

Travis selected the ball for his Gardevoir and sent it out while Garrett tossed the ball he'd already chosen. Gardevoir appeared and braced, knowing what was going on around her, as the other ball revealed Garrett's selection.

Travis blinked. "A Gallade!" Its stare pierced Travis' confidence. Not exceptionally uncommon, but versatile. He'd fought Gallades before, and knew how unpredictable they could be. But he knew what made them strong. "Gardevoir, Future Sight."

Garrett made his first move. "Paladin! Use your Swords Dance!"

Travis understood the setup. It was an old tactic; power up, then strike. It was effective but slow. The problem was that Travis' plan was also slow, too. He waited a moment to allow his Pokemon to finish preparing the Future Sight before issuing his next command. "Gardevoir, use Wish!" He watched her prepare the move and hoped she would be able to hold up against the Gallade's attack.

Garrett smirked. "Paladin, Hypnosis!"

Travis was a little surprised by the sudden turn of events. This was the real strength of Gallade. Not how physically strong they could be, but the kinds of support moves they could learn. Really, they could learn anything a Gardevoir could.

Travis' Gardevoir nodded and collapsed, sound asleep. Garrett smirked again as his Gallade advanced. "Alright, Paladin. Take her down with Night Slash." His Pokemon extended one of its arm blades. The blade took on a dark color and a ghostly appearance and the Gallade advanced.

A subtle wind stirred around Gardevoir as she was approached. And as his blade came down, the very air came alive around her. The blade came down on top of her as her defensive moves took effect. A sudden powerful blast flung the larger Pokemon away, then her fresh wound closed and her eyes snapped open.

Travis grinned. His Gardevoir seemed to be a bit stronger than Garrett's Gallade. This gave him a bit of an edge. "Gardevoir, Shadow Ball." She brought her arms together and formed a ball of darkness. And as the Gallade was getting up, she slammed it straight into his chest. The Gallade was knocked head over heels again, and didn't get back up.

Garrett was beside his Pokemon in an instant. "Augh, Paladin! Are you alright?" The Gallade made a woozy sound, but was obviously in no shape to continue. Garrett returned the Pokemon to its ball then stood. "Yeesh, I knew you were good."

Travis smiled, then withdrew his Pokemon as well. "Let's both use fresh Pokemon for the next round." He picked another ball from his belt.

Garrett smiled again. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." He selected another ball from his own belt and they tossed in unison.

Travis watched as his Pokemon took form. The statically charged fur stood on end, and it yipped as it stared down its opponent. His Jolteon was certainly ready to battle. Travis looked up to his opponent and was a little shocked. The egg-shaped Pokemon bounced slightly, floppy ears dangling just over its eyes. The Azumarill had a bright smile and looked excited to be there.

Travis blinked a few times at the happy looking Pokemon, occasionally glancing down to his own Pokemon. After a moment, he had to ask. "So, uh... does your Azumarill have a nickname like your Gallade?"

Garrett never stopped smiling. "Yeah, I named him Frito."

Travis tried to tell if Garrett was kidding but the unusual trainer seemed to be serious. "Well, if you think Frito is up to the challenge, then we can go ahead and start."

"Yeah sure, let's go."

Travis shrugged. This match might not last very long, but he knew that type resistance was only one part of battling. Maybe he'd get a surprise. "Jolteon, use Double Team."

In a flash the electric Pokemon seemed to double itself, then each broke into another copy. The Azumarill was surrounded in seconds, but it never stopped looking confident. Garrett called out to his Pokemon. "Stay focused, Frito. Concentrate and Focus Punch!"

The little Pokemon brought up its little arms like a boxer and stared intently into the swarm of double images from the much faster Jolteon. Travis watched the Azumarill intently. It wasn't afraid at all, and obviously trusted its trainer completely. Even in the face of obviously overwhelming odds, it didn't back down an inch. This was going to be an interesting fight.

Jolteon continued to dash and weave around the waiting Pokemon. Both were obviously looking for an opening. It was a waiting game.

Finally, one of the doubles of the electric Pokemon broke from the dizzying circle and lunged at the Azumarill. Garrett shouted out to his Pokemon, and it moved. As the Jolteon lunged at the water type, the Azumarill turned right into it fearlessly. Frito called Jolteon's bluff and the duplicate passed right through. And the actual Jolteon was right behind the double.

Frito's Focus Punch caught Jolteon dead center. Both trainers heard the crack as Frito's blow landed, and the Jolteon simply flew backwards. The doubles faded instantly and the electric type bounced along the ground twenty feet away.

Travis bit his lip and dashed to his fallen Pokemon, followed closely by his Zangoose. Garrett and his Azumarill dashed up to help if needed. As soon as Travis was up to his Pokemon, he could tell that he was alright. Dazed from the impact and in no shape to battle, but he'd be all right after some rest. Travis recalled his Pokemon and replaced the ball on his belt while Garrett sighed in relief.

"Sorry, Travis. I didn't think Frito would get that clean a hit."

Travis looked up to his opponent and the surprising Azumarill. He'd forgotten about one of the special traits of the aquatic rodent, where it could greatly increase its strength. It seemed that this one had found a way to perfect this trick. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Things happen. I've got lots of healing things here, so don't worry about it."

Garrett nodded and recalled Frito. "So. Best two of three then?" He selected a third ball and held it aloft.

Travis smiled at his opponent. Garrett was a pretty good trainer, and showed a good deal of compassion towards Pokemon. It was almost like he could understand his Pokemon on a deeper level. "Alright, last match then." He turned and nodded to his Zangoose, who had been waiting patiently all this time. She stepped forward and took up a stance.

Garrett smirked. "I thought you'd do that. Let's see how this goes. Go, Blanche!" He tossed his ball and summoned his third Pokemon. And as the Pokemon took shape, Travis couldn't help but laugh a little. Garrett's 'Blanche' was a very familiar Pokemon indeed. Another Zangoose.

The two Pokemon blinked at each other for just a moment. Garrett laughed. "When I saw you battling with your Zangoose, I couldn't help but think of Blanche. They're pretty similar I think. So this should be pretty interesting, right?"

Travis smiled. "Alright. Zangoose against Zangoose. Let's see who'll win."

The two Pokemon squared off against each other, taking a careful stance a respectable distance from each other. Travis and Garrett stared at each other, waiting to see who would make the first move.

Minutes passed while Travis studied the situation. Garrett's Blanche really did seem like a good Pokemon. The same age as his own, they both moved the same way. There was something almost familiar in the other Pokemon. Travis concentrated on Garrett, watching him to see what he would do, and their eyes met. They were watching each other. Travis paused, then smiled. At times like this, sometimes the best thing to do was to just go for it.

Travis started to move and Garrett matched the movement. And they called in unison, "Close Combat!"

Both Pokemon charged. Both flashed claws for a split second and a single solid CRACK met the ears of all present. Travis' eyes widened as he looked on to the two Pokemon.

Both Pokemon stood frozen. Both had attacked with the same front paw, and both had gone for the same spot. Blanche's eyes watered slightly from the impact on her muzzle. But her fist had fallen just short. Blanche plopped down and clutched her poor bleeding nose, beaten by nothing more than reach. Travis' Zangoose stood in shock at the sudden end to the match, then moved to her opponent to see if she was alright.

---

Travis straightened up and wiped his brow. "There you go, Blanche. Feeling better?"

The Zangoose gingerly touched the bandages around her nose, then gave Travis a thumbs up. Nothing was broken, but she'd gotten hit hard enough that the bleeding just wasn't stopping. Her face was a little puffy still, but she'd be fine. She'd taken by far the worst injuries of the three losing Pokemon that day.

Travis had invited Garrett to stay for the night since it was getting late and there was still a lot of road to cover before the next town. Plus, it took some time to bandage up Blanche. Garrett agreed right away, since this also gave him and excuse to let the rest of his Pokemon out. Turned out Garrett was pretty competent, and had earned a number of gym badges in a couple different regions. They had a lot of similar interests, so they had plenty to talk about.

One point of interest was Blanche herself. Garrett had gotten her from a trainer that just didn't want to raise her anymore, so he had no idea where she came from. But Travis just couldn't shake the feeling that he knew this Pokemon. He thought back to the day he'd selected his Zangoose, and thought about the other Pokemon that day. Was Blanche that Pokemon? There was just no way to tell, but the feeling still tugged at him a little. What a coincidence it would be if Blanche did turn out to be the sister of his own Zangoose.

Blanche hopped off the table where he'd set her. She smiled cheerfully and waved as she dashed outside to play with her friends. Travis chuckled to himself, then set to work on dinner. There were a lot more guests today than normal.

---

Blanche dashed outside into the clean air and soft grass. In seconds she located the group of Pokemon gathered around Garrett and barreled over.

Paladin noticed his friend approach and greeted her. "Welcome back, bleeder."

Blanche scowled at him. "Shub ub, Baladin. Dis really hurd."

Paladin chuckled and turned back to Gardevoir. Blanche stuck her tongue out at him and walked over to the other group. Garrett was rubbing Zangoose's head while Jolteon relaxed nearby. Zangoose saw her coming and looked away shyly.

Blanche poked Zangoose on the shoulder. "I jus' wanna dalk."

Zangoose turned and looked Blanche square in the eye. "Um... sorry for hitting you so hard."

Blanche shrugged it off before Zangoose could finish. "'Sokay. Can I see your baw?"

Zangoose blinked in confusion, but offered her paw. Blanche held it and compared it with her own. Garrett looked on, suddenly interested in what was going on. Blanche stared at their forepaws for a bit, then nodded to herself. "Dey're de same."

Zangoose gave Blanche a skeptical look. "Uh, aren't they supposed to be the same? We're the same species and even the same gender."

Blanche shook her head. "No, look closer." Zangoose was still skeptical, but looked anyway. Blanche pointed at a spot on her pad where it hooked in slightly. "Right dere. See?" Zangoose looked at her own paw in the same spot, and noticed the small hook in the same place on her own paw.

Zangoose shrugged though. "Isn't that normal though?"

Garrett smiled. "Not necessarily, Zangoose. Lemme dig out my Dex real quick."

Zangoose's jaw dropped. He wasn't speaking any human language just now. And he understood her perfectly. "Wha- how...?"

Garrett pulled out his Pokedex and scanned Blanche. "Huh? Oh, uh... I've, um... 'experienced' some things." He smiled and pulled his hat off, revealing his black hair. Well, all black except for the flame red streak down the center. He turned his Pokedex so that Zangoose could see, waving away her other questions. "See here? The basic paw print for you guys doesn't have that tiny little hook there. Something like that is a genetic anomaly. Doesn't cause anything bad, but can be used like a fingerprint."

Zangoose considered this for a moment. She looked to Blanche, then back to Garrett. "So, we had the same parents or something?"

Garrett smiled broadly. "That's exactly what I'm saying. There's a really good chance of that."

Zangoose looked back to Blanche, who smiled back at her. "So what does that mean for us?"

Blanche smiled as broadly as she could. "Nuthin'. Id's jus' kinda cool." Zangoose scrunched her nose up at the strange reaction, and Blanche just giggled at her.

The Pokemon spent the rest of the day relaxing and playing while their trainers watched. And after they ate the meal Travis had prepared for them, they slept comfortably.

---

The sun greeted the two trainers the following morning. Garrett had gathered his sleeping Pokemon so he could get an early start. Travis had followed along to bid farewell to his new friends.

"Make sure that Blanche doesn't over exert herself until you can get to a Pokemon Center. I know how rambunctious she can be."

"No worries," Garrett said with a smile. "I'll make sure she doesn't get any more banged up than she already is." He extended a hand suddenly to Travis. "Thanks for the match yesterday, it was a pleasure to see how you battle."

Travis shook his friend's hand. "Same to you. I expect good things from you."

Blanche yawned and rubbed her eyes while she waited for her trainer to finish saying goodbye. Her nose was still swollen and had gotten pretty sensitive, but it was healing. She looked back to the house where she'd been sleeping wondering if she was ever going to see her 'sister' again. She looked up and saw her trainer turning away from the house, waving for her to follow. She took one last look at Travis' home before turning down the road.

"ZAAAAAANGOOOOSE!!"

Trainers and Pokemon turned their attention towards the sound. Zangoose came barreling through the field, running at top speed straight for the road. She stopped at Travis' feet, gasping for air. Blanche was shocked at the sudden arrival, but glad she got to see her friend again.

Zangoose stood and faced Blanche. She pulled a flower she'd been carrying from her mouth and handed to her sister. "Don't... don't forget us, alright?"

Blanche held the broad flower for a moment, then looked at Zangoose with eyes full of tears. "I won'd! I won'd forged!"

Travis watched the exchange, only half understanding the words but fully understanding the meaning. Garrett smiled at his Pokemon, glad that she'd gotten to say goodbye to her new friend. Blanche affixed the flower behind an ear and smiled broadly.

The trainers parted ways, Garrett heading off to adventures unknown while Travis watched him go. Neither trainer knew if they'd see the other again, but both would remember their newfound friends.


End file.
